By Kosuke Kuji“The Japan Ginjo Sake Association” with over forty years of history held a new style of sake event that combines a live-stream (two-dime...

By Yuji MatsumotoRecently in the U.S., wine discount stores like BevMo and Total Wine and More, etc., are prosperous. Also, rural areas have local large liquor stores that sell various alcoholic beverages (tequila, ji-beer (local craft beers), champagne, whiskey, etc.) in addition to wine. When I we...

Sake was produced in Shinto shrines and Buddhist temple grounds in high volumes as offerings since the syncretistic fusion of Shintoism and Buddhism, “prohibition (of sake)” was issued in 1420. Annual rice yield collected as taxes gathered from across Japan to medieval Buddhist temples, as the vast ...

By Ryuji TakahashiKanemasu Brewery (Shibata city, Niigata prefecture), producer of Junmai Daiginjo “Hatsuhana” and “Kinmasu,” celebrated 200 years sin...

By Kosuke KujiHokkaido prefecture is fast garnering attention as home to one of several new locations of Kamikawa Taisetsu Sake Brewery, featured in the last report. Another reason Hokkaido is garnering attention is a sake brewery in Gifu prefecture relocated their entire sake brand to produce sake ...

By Kosuke KujiThe last issue introduced sake brewery “Tenbi” (Yamaguchi prefecture). New sake brewery “Kamikawa Taisetsu Sake Brewery” recently emerged in Hokkaido as well. This brewery was originally based out of Mie prefecture, where they acquired a license from an inactive brewery, transferred to...

By Yuji MatsumotoWhen we get into December, restaurants start becoming busy with year-end parties and Christmas parties, and we should start preparation from the beginning of November. During this time, wines and champagnes are consumed a lot and even served by restaurants, and it is disappointing t...

Yashiori sake is the first sake mentioned in Kojiki (Records of Ancient Matters), Nihonshoki (Chronicles of Japan), “Kiki-shinwa” (Mythology) in “Yamatano-orochi: Eight-headed, Eight-tailed Serpent.” “Ya-” (eight) means “many times, repeatedly,” while “yashiori” means “to press.” Rice and malted ric...

By Ryuji TakahashiNakatani Brewing Co., Ltd. is a long-established sake brewery operating since the Edo period (1603-1867). Located in Yamato-koriyama city, Nara prefecture, the brewery’s sake product Mikka-odori garnered attention. Upon release, master sake brewers from other sake breweries visite...

By Kosuke KujiShocking news of Russia invading Ukraine rattled Japan in the end of February 2022. A nation that relinquished war based on the three non-nuclear principles and Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution, Japan advocates for peace. Therefore, it never occurred to the Japanese that a major ...